Three struck by lightning at futsal match in Bkt Jalil, one critically injured

Members of the public and fellow players attend to the one of the victims. Pix credit: Facebook/ Arena Futsal Malaysia.

KUALA LUMPUR: A Sabah futsal player is in critical condition, while one of his teammates and a female are reported to be stable after they were struck by lightning during a futsal match in conjunction with ‘Liga Sukan Untuk Semua’ (LiSUS) in Bukit Jalil today.

The incident occurred at 4.30pm during a futsal match between Sabah and Terengganu which was held at the field in Bukit Jalil National Sports Complex.

The victim was identified as Faizal Alli while his teammate who just regained consciousness was identified as Abdul Wahid Habib Abdullah. Both players were from Tawau, Sabah.

The female victim, identified as Nurr Izati Kamsani, was with the Terengganu contingent and she was reported to be in a semi-critical condition.

All of them were being treated at the University Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre in Cheras.

It’s learnt that during the incident, Faizal Alli suddenly fell to the ground and unconscious after being struck by lightning while his teammate fell while running to the side line. Nurr Izati fell unconscious while going towards the Terengganu team camp.

It was understood that the match official did not stop the game despite heavy rain at that time.

The Ministry of Youth and Sports confirmed the incident this evening and stressed that the safety and welfare of the three victims were its priority and would update on any development as soon as possible.

A check at the medical centre at 9.30pm saw the victims’ other teammates gathering to wait for the latest development.

Also present were officials and staff from the ministry and National Sports Institute.